


Dear, Starboy (The Redux)

by Sorrelli7



Category: Eddsworld - All Media Types
Genre: Abuse, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst, Dear Starboy AU, Depression, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Self-Harm, Slow Build, Slow Burn, dear starboy - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-18
Updated: 2018-04-03
Packaged: 2019-03-20 21:14:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13726104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sorrelli7/pseuds/Sorrelli7
Summary: This is a redux, or revival, of the fic titled "Dear Starboy", available on WattPad. This work holds some of the same plot points and elements as the original but includes more detail, longer chapters, and twists/turns to the story. There's a ton of new content I hope everyone will enjoy! "Dear Starboy" was an inspiring and emotional fic with a lot of potential and seeing as the original creator, "saltiestblueberry", has left the internet, I wanted to go a step further with what they created and write more backstory for the characters; write things I wished to have read/experienced in the plot.Please note, I DID try and get in contact with the original creator to ask permission for this redux but they were, unfortunately, long gone. If the creator does see this fanfic spin-off and has any disputes, they are more than welcome to contact me via IG @soriibatAgain, please enjoy "Dear Starboy (The Redux)"; the story of two neighbors, fate, and a love made by the stars. <3





	1. Feeble Escape

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Dear Starboy](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/358494) by saltiestblueberry. 



 

                “Thomas.”

The voice that spoke was unkind and incredibly stern, for being a touch slurred. The bearer of the name, a young man around the age of sixteen, winced at the veiled daggers he already knew laced what fell from his father’s lips.

                “Yes, _father_?” he replied, attempting to coat his words with as much sarcasm as possible.

                “Go to your room, and I better not see you for the rest of the night, or so help me God...” came the sour sounding reply.

The veiled threat was more than enough to get Tom to comply. He already knew what happened well enough whenever he disobeyed; it always hurt later. Without another word or expression, Tom sulked through the hallway to the rear of the home. His bedroom was the only room in this portion of the house and it served its unintended, isolating, purpose. Tom tried to contain the tears that welled into his eyes, blurring his vision worse than it already was. The thought and mulling of why his father hated him so much began it’s near ever-present rolling around in his head. What had he ever done wrong? He didn’t ask to be born; but neither had his mother asked his father to become a raging alcoholic. Though he felt abandoned without her, he couldn’t blame her for staying at work as long as possible to avoid the house.

                _I just want out. I want a way out._

He inhaled a steadying breath, just as his phone verbally alerted him: “One new message, from Edd.” Tom’s eyesight was poor due to the hyphemia present in both his eyes after a childhood accident. The doctors had said due to the way it clotted and healed, not much could be done without risking his eyes, and sight, further. Tom was thankful his phone had accessibility features for him, so as to not strain past his blurry vision to try and read text. He ambled over to his window sill, such a tiny thing, but at least he had two in total in his room. This one faced a perpetually empty lot, save for now, that it was being built upon. Tom pushed the window ajar, swinging the panels open on their hinges as the shutters creaked open to accommodate. Warm summer breeze whisked into the room and his curtains fluttered. It was a beautiful night; a shame he was locked inside. Tom gave his phone the verbal command to read the text message he had received to him.

                “Beginning message from Edd: Hey man..just wanted to make sure you were okay. Seemed out of sorts. Text me back whenever, I’m up late on math homework..grimacing emoji.”

Tom couldn’t help but snickering a little as his phone verbally translated the emoji his friend had used. Thinking of a response, he turned his attention to the stars that twinkled in the clear sky above. They speckled the sky and almost seemed to dance, apologetically. It was almost as if the stars themselves were sorry for his situation.

                “I don’t normally believe in bullshit like wishes..but if you can hear me, send me something to hope for.”

The stars seemed unmoved by Tom’s plea to them and he gave a small dismissive grunt before he left the window sill, grabbed his phone, and flopped onto his bed. He was ready to dictate a message to Edd through his phone’s speech-to-text feature.

                “Hey Edd. Yeah, I’m fine. Unrelated but, looks like that empty lot me and you and Matt used to play on..house is going up there now..”

                _A way out._


	2. Fateful Encounter

 

                A black and white cat meowed indignantly as Tom flung his school books onto his bed. It was summer at last. Now seventeen, he enjoyed a bit more freedom; that is, when schoolwork allowed for any spare time. With the last day of his drudgery over and done, that’s all his days would be full of; at least, until summer school started.

Tom scratched the back of the cat’s ear in an effort to calm the animal and it began to purr. He smiled gently, “You like that, eh Tucker?” He felt his faithful companion always watched over him and Tucker spent more time in his room than anywhere else. Tom spent one more moment to stroke his dear pet, before, without any attempt at grace, flopping face first into his bed. Tucker, seemingly unfazed by this occurrence, simply padded to his owner and curled in the curve of his lower back. A few moments passed and Tom just began to doze off.

“You must really be a cat magnet. They say that’s a good thing with the ladies you know!”

The voice that had spoken the brash observation sounded spritely, each vowel flitting in a slightly higher pitch and the end of sentences made soft. Had it not be for the distinctive noise, Tom may have mistaken what he heard for an incoming text; instead,  realizing this was indeed someone talking _to_ him, he sat up quickly. Tucker bounded to the floor indignantly, tired of all the commotion, before he turned tail and retreated from the room.

                “Oh? Maybe not so much…!” the voice came again, Tom realized, through the open window of his room. Laughter danced through the air, light and airy. The culprit would’ve been easy to spot from a mile away, decorated in a rainbow of pastels. Tom hurried to the window sill and leaned out of it slightly, squinting. “Who said that?” he asked bluntly, his eyes focusing a bit better after a moment. He could make out light brown hair, spiked up in the front, and something wreathed around it. The stranger had pale skin, was wearing a wry grin, and from what Tom could tell, a largely pastel pink tank top.

                “Uh...it’s a little fucking creepy to watch someone through their window don’t you think?” Tom accusingly asked, trying to sound a little tough but his tone ultimately gave way to confusion. “I don’t think so, not when _both_ our windows are open anyhow. It isn’t like you’d get much privacy with the shutters swung wide open like that.” The fellow teen gave another giggle to punctuate his sentence. Tom squinted again in suspicion and gave a small grunt, but he couldn’t deny the logic behind the other boy’s words. “Fair enough, I suppose...” Tom paused a moment, looking at the side of the adjacent house that he hadn’t given much attention to, even as the construction workers spent all last season working on it and the new family had moved in. The shutters around this boy’s window were very red; it was bright even through Tom’s failing eyes. “You’re the new neighbor, huh? What’s your name?”

                “Tord. And yours?”

                “It’s Th-“

“THOMAS!” a cheery voice interrupted. Unmistakably, Tom recognized the boisterous tone of his friend Edd, who sauntered into the room like he’d lived there all his life. “Oh, bloody hell…are we interrupting something?” His thick accent rolled off his tongue, London dialect unmistakable, and one that put Tom’s to shame.

                “Err…no. This creep was just eyeing me through my own window.” Tom replied, admittedly relieved to be pardoned from the conversation with Tord. The other simply grinned and gave a small wave; the rings on each of his fingers bounced a glitter of sunlight every way. He gave a small mock bow and the gemstone necklace he wore clacked against his own window sill.” A thin, ginger haired boy peeked out behind of Edd, who took up a large part of the room where he was standing. “Well, let me in so I can take a look now!” he proclaimed with a dramatic attempt at distress. Edd laughed and moved to the side in the smaller space to allow Matt through. “Awfully rude to spy on a neighbor!” he continued. Tord simply waved his hand in reply. “Don’t worry, I was admiring the clouds above more than…Thomas? Was it?”

                “Just call me Tom.”

                “than Tom.” Tord corrected himself.

“I’m Edd!” the large young man said, shifting his weight and idly placing a hand on his hip. “It’s nice to see a new face. Though I don’t remember seeing you ‘round school much?” Tord shrugged lightly, “Personal tutor for ‘college readiness’. I get school at home, basically.” Matt gasped in pleasant surprise, his freckled face lighting up. “Woah!! You get homeschooled?!”

                Tom crossed his arms and rolled his eyes, mildly displeased with all the attention this newcomer was getting from his friends. “Alright, Matt, that’s not why you two are here. So guys, how’re we going to break in the first day of summer before my sorry ass has to be back at that god forsaken place in two weeks?” Tord snickered and Tom did his best to ignore it. Edd excitedly disclosed the plan he and Matt had made of going into the town’s arcade and spending all night there; Matt would drive, of course, being the only one of the group to have his own car. Tom was enthused to be spending time with his pals, rather than shut in at home like he was used to. “Great, they’ve got food there right?” he mused idly, moving to shut his bedroom window. It was then he took another look at Tord, realizing the boy was wearing a flower crown around his head and that his bare arms were eccentrically decorated with bangles. “Well, bye.” Tom said awkwardly.

                “See you later…kitty boy.” Tord teased, leaning once again against the side of the window and resuming his cloud watch. Tom shook his head at the nickname and gave the window a push shut, not having bothered to pull the exterior shutters closed.

                “Kitty boy? That’s a new one?” came Edd’s friendly jab, including a nudge to Tom’s side. He shrugged in response, holding his hands out as he did so. “He saw Tucker lying on me.”

 

_What a weird kid._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I really wanted to get this one out before I went on vacation, hopefully it doesn't seem/feel rushed. I'll be gone for almost a week, then back to writing around work and other commitments.
> 
> Thanks for reading and see you at the next one! <3  
> *Feedback is always welcome and appreciated, just remember to be constructive!*


	3. Nocte Caeli

_ Thunk. _

 

Tom startled a little as sudden noise interrupted his devout concentration on homework and study guides. “Damn cat..” he muttered under his breath, assuming Tucker had jumped at his door as he usually did when he wanted in. As Tom began to get up from his desk though, he realized the noise had come from his window. For the past few weeks he’d been using the opening in his room to speak with his neighbor, only in passing or to throw an awkward wave before pulling the curtains closed. He noticed that Tord seemed to spend a lot of time daydreaming..

 

_ Thunk. _

A brightly colored object appeared to hit his window once more, before falling to the ground below. He cocked an eyebrow and approached the sill, beginning to have a hunch about the disruption. His silent speculation was confirmed; Tord was sitting across the way in his own window, cradling a Ziploc bag of jellybeans. “I’m pretty sure this is considered littering.” Tom stated bluntly, once he’d opened his shutters and pointed towards the candy that was strewn just below. There was more than the two that had hit, giving hint to Tord’s failed throws. “Well! I must get your attention somehow, Tommy!~” The other’s reply was vaguely smug and the nickname rolled off his tongue lightheartedly. “Was there anything specific you wanted? I’m kinda busy preparing for exams.” “I thought we could talk..get better acquainted, perhaps? How was school?” Tom shivered a little as a cool breeze spent a moment in the air and he tucked his crossed arms more tightly against himself; he didn’t need his hoodie when his window was closed and work uninterrupted by eccentric neighbors decorated from head to toe in conflicting colors. “Guh..the usual bullshit. Math is kicking my ass like normal.” Tord airily laughed and Tom huffed, pouting slightly.

 

“Tsk, tsk, kitty boy! Math is the easiest subject!” he teased. “Yeah, I’ll fuckin’ bet..you get taught in your pajamas!” Tom retorted in a mock bitterness. Tord drove him up the wall sometimes, yet he couldn’t ever bring himself to ignore him whenever he was around. Something about him just made him gravitate in Tord’s direction, no matter how much irritation he felt from his remarks. Tord’s laughter filled the night again and he lifted a small silver flask to his lips, taking a long draw and then sighing in content after. The vessel was decorated in pastel rainbow stars, no inch left unmarked. “Want some?” Tord mischievously quirked his brow and grinned, leaning out of his window slightly and offering the flask. “It’s red wine! Sort of became a bad habit from my godfather.” Tom chuckled, “Gross..no. Smirnoff is the only drink for me. Ever.” Tord seemed almost put-off at the refusal but merely shrugged in response. “Suit yourself..” he paused for a beat, “You can’t see very well can you, Tom?” The other was thrown off by the sudden question. “Er..no. I don't have the best sight. Childhood accident..and well, my eyes couldn’t exactly be saved.” “Can you see the stars?” Tord’s face was turned upwards towards the heavens now; Tom followed suit. “Well,  _ yeah _ ..but probably not as well as you. They look like really fuzzy blobs to me.” Tord takes another sip of wine before an obvious filter he once had became lost on him and he described in detail how all humanity was made of stardust, as if weaving an intricate and delicate spoken poem. Tom was, surprisingly, content to listen, even if he thought most of it was hippie hogwash that only existed in fairytales. Tord’s words seem to string him up with those stars and he hadn’t realized he zoned out at the sky until Tord repeated his name several times. “S-sorry. What?”

 

“I asked if you believed in the stars too.” 

“Oh..um. Not really. I kinda think that sort of thing is fake..what is there to believe in a giant hot ball of gas and matter?” He let out a small awkward giggle, suddenly feeling as though he were a little bit lighter on his feet than normal. “I see..” came the soft reply. “What’s your star sign?”

Tom rolled his eyes but couldn’t hide the smile that twinged at his lips. “Cancer. I only know that because Matt is  _ obsessed _ with astrology.” Tord’s eyes lit up as he hurriedly disclosed, “I’m a Virgo!” “Is that..a good thing?” Tord sighed in impatience. “Of course it is. Virgo and Cancer are..well..I guess we’ll just see~” Tom didn’t understand any of this, not even a single fraction of it, but he could have sworn that in the starlight Tord himself was shining, if only for a moment. Something ethereal seemed to radiate off of the other and his flower crown could’ve easily been mistaken for a halo, at least in Tom’s inner thoughts. He shook his head to dismiss the bizarre ruminations. Human star or not, this guy still aggravated the hell out of him. 

 

For the first time though, Tom might have said he actually  _ liked _ him. “Well!” He interjected abruptly, breaching the open ended silence. “I have to get back to studying. Nice talking to you, star boy.” He figured if he was going to have to go through the pain of the name “kitty boy”, he ought to give one to Tord to match in ridiculousness. Tord giggled, nearly spurting bits of wine from his most recent sip. “Star boy!” he breathed in a voice of wonder. “Perfect!”

 

Tom meandered back to his desk, but this time didn’t bother to close his window. His thoughts drifted back to school work as the boy next door hummed a playful tune, lost in thought and passion for the world in the sky above.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait!! Life got really hectic and busy for me..I recently moved out of my abusive mother's home and in with my fiance and her family. The transistion has been stressful but I'm doing a lot better now. I'm hoping to be able to now carve out more time for the story, as eveything's slowly settling back down. As always, thank you for your readership and I hope you've enjoyed the chapter!
> 
> *Comments, kudos, and constructive criticism are always appreciated! <3*


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